BRAZIL COMES TOGETHER IN CELEBRATION OF ACADEMY AWARD® ANIMATED FEATURE NOMINEE BOY AND THE WORLD

Film re-released in Brazil, Kickstarter campaign sends Abreu to the Oscars®, while nomination spurs sales in over 90 international territories

Theatrical release expands to more North American cities on heels of nomination, with home video release date to be announced shortly

Brazil received its first ever Oscar® nomination in the Animated Feature category with director Alê Abreu's BOY AND THE WORLD. Following the January 14th Academy Award® nomination, BOY AND THE WORLDexperienced a groundswell of support from the Brazilian people as well as the attention of local celebrities, politicians, and support from Brazilian government and non-government agencies Ancine, SPCINE, APEX, BNDEs, Finep, BTVP and Cinema do Brasil.

The film, distributed in the US and Canada by GKIDS, had its awards qualifying run last December and has since been released theatrically to widespread critical acclaim with IndieWire calling it “the best animated film of the year… a dazzling masterpiece” the Village Voice calling it “masterful… a marvel of visual storytelling,” The New York Times calling it, “a colorful and stirring animated adventure,” and The Hollywood Reporter called it “a vibrant animated vision." The film is currently 96% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

ELO Company represents the film’s international sales and strategy and has sold the film to more than 90 territories worldwide, with sales in many more territories pending. Several territories have re-released the film theatrically following the nomination, including the film’s home country of Brazil.

ELO CEO and Co-Founder Sabrina Nudeliman Wagon said, “After ten years working with Brazilian content abroad, this is an amazing recognition of our efforts. We have always believed in BOY AND THE WORLD’s potential, and have invested in its international strategy since 2013.” The film was a huge success on the international film festival circuit and has taken home more than 40 festival prizes to date. Most of the territories were already sold before the nomination.

GKIDS founder and CEO Eric Beckman said, “The incredible response to this film has been so heart-warming and gratifying. We are thrilled to be celebrating with the Brazilian team in Los Angeles this weekend, and to have been able to play a part in bringing Alê Abreu's visionary work the attention it so strongly deserves.”

While BOY AND THE WORLD has experienced strong Brazilian agency support throughout its production and release, following the Oscar® nomination, the entire country has rallied behind the film. The filmmakers even started a successful grassroots Kickstarter campaign to send the team to Los Angeles for the 88th annual Academy Awards®.

Not only the people of Brazil, but also the President has shown her support, with Abreu hosting a private showing of the film with Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff. “Congratulations to the director Alê Abreu and to the team for the excellent work and for the achievement with the nomination” said President Rousseff.

Tune in to the Academy Awards® on Sunday, February 28, to watch BOY AND THE WORLD compete against fellow GKIDS nominee WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE, as well as ANOMALISA, INSIDE OUT and SHAUN THE SHEEP, for the Best Animated Feature award.

ABOUT BOY AND THE WORLD

Brazilian artist Ale? Abreu’s multiple award-winning masterpiece is a riotous explosion of music and color, a breathtakingly original and vibrant cinematic experience that depicts the wonders and struggles of the modern world as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Cuca’s cozy rural life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on greater complexity as his small world expands. Entering civilization, industrial landscapes are inhabited by animal-machines, with barrios of decoupage streets and shop windows, and flashing neon advertisements that illuminate the night. The story depicts a clash between village and city, hand crafted and mechanized, rich and poor – and throughout the tumult, the heart and soul of the people beats on as a song. The film’s music produced by Ruben Feffer and Gustavo Kurlat is on equal footing with the stunning visuals, a soundscape of pan-flute, samba, and Brazilian hip-hop mixing with the whirling carnival colors and exploding fireworks.

ABOUT GKIDS

GKIDS is a distributor of award-winning feature animation for both adult and family audiences. Since 2009, the company has scored eight Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations – second only to Disney – with The Secretof Kells in 2010, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita in 2012, Ernest & Celestine in 2014, The Tale of ThePrincess Kaguya and Song of the Sea in 2015, and Boy and the World and When Marnie Was There in 2016. Current and upcoming releases include Boy and the World from director Alê Abreu, and Only Yesterday, from Isao Takahata and Studio Ghibli. GKIDS also handles North American theatrical distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with titles Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and others.